With a splash his contribution to the school's construction project came to a quick end. He was fortunate to have been admitted as part of "The Sons of the Prophets," a group of men who were cultivating their spiritual gifts under the teaching of the Prophet Elisha. Having outgrown their quarters the students headed off into the woods near the Jordan River in order to cut down trees for use in constructing a new home. These men figured if each cut down one tree they would have enough wood to build a space where they could comfortably continue their studies.
Having found a good sized tree, one of the men took aim with his borrowed ax. With both hands on the handle he swung. Instead of the sound of splintering wood his efforts were rewarded by a loud 'Splash!' To his dismay the ax head had come off of the handle, launching itself into the rushing waters of the Jordan River. I wonder if he stood for a moment, staring at the handle in disbelief. Perhaps he took a moment to give thanks that no one was hurt. At some point reality set in and he realized he had a problem. He now had to find a way to replace the ax he had borrowed...and broken.
Being a man of God he knew he was required to make amends to his neighbor for the lost ax head. He likely considered himself bound, if not simply by honor, then by the principle behind Exodus 22:14:
"And if a man borrows anything from his neighbor, and it becomes injured or dies, the owner not being with it, he shall surely make good."
Though the command specifically applied to borrowing work animals, the idea of compensating the owner also applied when a tool was lost or broken. For Jews this was (and likely is) an issue of character. As written in Psalm 37:21:
"The wicked borrows but does not pay back..."
Being under conviction the young prophet knew he needed to replace the ax. Based on his reaction he did not seem to have the means to buy a replacement and unlike today's students he could not text his family to ask if they could load up his PayPal account. He was unable to replace the ax and without it he was unable to keep his pledge to his fellow students. Fortunately the prophet Elisha was more than willing to help.
The prophet could have responded in a number of ways. He could have promised to pray about the situation, sending his pupil away to wait for a word from God. Likely no one would have argued had this been his response nor would anyone have blinked had the prophet taken up an offering in order to replace the broken ax. Either response would have been acceptable, a normal human response from a believer. Instead the prophet chose to do what was not humanly impossible. Instead of being limited by his own ability, Elisha allowed God to do the impossible in order to help the young student meet his responsibilities.
Our natural tendency when we see others in need is to do what we can. Often, at least here in the states, what we can do involves money. Of course there is nothing wrong with giving money or time or anything else we can give in order to help our neighbor. In fact Jesus calls us to go the extra mile. But are we, by faith, going as far as God wants? Are we limiting ourselves to doing just what we can or our we open to doing the extraordinary by the power of God?
As the body of Christ, God's church are His hands and feet here on earth. Around us are people dealing with a multitude of problems and needs. Here in the United States we have food deserts where people do not know where their next meal might come from. Some of these deserts exist on our college campuses along with the need for protection from bullying. We are seeing an uncomfortable number of school shootings, leaving children with a feeling of insecurity and stress. Who knows how this will affect their future.
Elisha tossed a piece of wood into the water, causing an iron ax head to float. In so doing not only did he help his student return the tool, he provided a lasting impression of the power of God. By allowing God to work through us, we will have opportunities to demonstrate extraordinary love: love that comes from and with the power of the Holy Spirit. Is your faith mature enough to solve problems in extraordinary ways? Are you responding to your neighbors in your own ability or in the ability and calling of our Father in Heaven?
Also read: Yes, We Should Pray Following Tragedies
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